1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering wheel structure with an airbag module which can protect a spring element of a dynamic damper from damage and increase productivity by improving assemblability.
2. Related Art
Known techniques which use an airbag module as a dynamic damper to reduce vibrations of a steering wheel includes a technique of Patent Literature 1. In “a steering wheel equipped with an airbag module” according to Patent Literature 1, the airbag module equipped with a gas generator and an airbag, and hidden from a passenger compartment by a cover cap provided on a top face of the steering wheel. The gas generator is provided in the form of a vibration damper, and is mounted on at least one member in the airbag module, the member being elastically deformable when the steering wheel vibrates. The gas generator is peripherally mounted on the elastically deformable member, and/or the elastically deformable member has a peripheral sealing lip, which abuts the member or another member coupled to the member after the gas generator ignites.
According to one reference in the patent literature, the elastically deformable member is a rubber ring or elastic member made of rubber, and the rubber ring or the like is fitted over a plate flange of the gas generator, which is usually made of metal, using a slot formed in the rubber ring or the like.
The above construction is seen in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-524352.